Google Earth gazes toward the sky

Many people like to just sit outside at night and gaze up into the heavens. Picking out the constellations or just wondering about what else is out there, it's something that most of us have done. Well now, thanks to an update to Google Earth, you don't even have to leave your room to check out the sky.

"Today, I'm excited to announce we are launching Sky in Google Earth," said Google Earth Product Manager, Lior Ron. "You can now explore the universe from the comfort of your chair. Zoom in to distant galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away, explore the constellations, see the planets in motion, witness a supernova explosion; it's like having a giant, virtual telescope at your command -- your own personal planetarium!"

A Sky button on the toolbar will enable you to switch from Earth to Sky mode where you can view 100 million stars and 200 million galaxies. If you begin your Google Earth session with the your current coordinates, you'll be able to see the sky just as it is right above you.

If you'd like to get a good idea of just what kinds of cool things you can find, there are plenty of of examples over at the Google Earth Gallery.

What kinds of things have you discovered while browsing the known galaxies? Show us what you've found over in the forums.